Spanish for Children and Families
Spanish for Children and Families
If you have had any of these thoughts, I know you have asked yourself this question:
Where do I start from?
You don't want to hire a tutor. You realize that teaching Spanish from scratch is not as easy as it seems. Then you buy books, flashcards, collect information but can't quite put it all together. Only feeling frustrated, giving up or teaching one of those isolated units easy to find that only leads to repetition but not to fluency.
It is time to change that! I know exactly how you feel, and the best part,
I know exactly how to help.
If you see the value in being an active part of your children's journey
while learning a second language, Mundo Fantástico is for you!
What describes you best?
We have previous knowledge
of Spanish at Home
I know Spanish and have been trying to teach my children but do not know where to start from.
I would love the
materials
I know how to teach my children but need a comprehensive and organized resources with lesson plans.
We don’t Know or Speak
Spanish at Home
I don’t know Spanish but want
to teach my children and
maybe learn with them.
The Curriculum
The main goal of Mundo Fantástico is to provide a roadmap with lesson plans, worksheets, materials, books, audios, additional resources and support for children and parents or caregivers to use Spanish and produce it naturally. My approach to teaching/learning Spanish incorporates TPRS, CI, Super 7, high frequency vocabulary and less of the traditional components while also taking into consideration children's developmental milestones and grade appropriate subjects.
Like most elementary school parents and language teachers, I started with a lot of heart but little guidelines and available resources. There are very successful approaches used for intermediate and high school students. However, very few materials, curriculum or programs are created exclusively for elementary school children.
The traditional approach to teaching a language seemed to provide children with independent islands of vocabulary or units that don’t help with or serve as building blocks for language acquisition. I know the value of CI, TPRS, and the Super 7 specially at an early age when brain plasticity is ideal for learning languages.
FAQ
Do I or my child need any previous knowledge of Spanish to use the curriculum?
Absolutely not! Our goal is to provide children who do not speak Spanish with the appropriate atmosphere to learn a second language as well as expand and strengthen the language proficiency of Spanish-speaking children. When children are very young sometimes they do not realize they are learning a foreign language. They think they are learning different words to refer to things they already know.
Why a Second Language?
Stronger brain development, competitive age, better understanding of native language, better cultural understanding and taking advantage of a “window of opportunity” are some of the benefits of learning a second languages. In most European and Asian countries language training starts at a very early age. However, in the United States this process starts later. Let’s change that!
Why Spanish?
400 million of people speak Spanish around the world and in the United States Spanish is the second most widely spoken language after English. Spanish is one of the romance languages born in Latin so it can also set the foundation for learning Italian, French and Portuguese.
What is CI, TPRS and the Super 7 verbs?
• TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) is a method developed by Blaine Ray in 1990. It is based on James Asher’s TPR. Storytelling is the central piece of TPRS
• CI (Comprehensible Input) is one of the most important theories of second language acquisition created by Stephen Krashen. CI is the foundation language acquisition
• Super 7 Verbs incorporates learning and using seven high frequency verbs in Spanish (or any language). It was first used by Terry Waltz.
What is Comprehensible Input (CI) and why you should incorporate it in learning Spanish?
Who is Jenny Corredor Varela and why is her name so long!
The short answer. I am a Spanish Language Coach and Program creator. I specialize in families with elementary school children who want to teach, learn and speak Spanish at home, although I am pretty good at teaching adults too!
As a native of Colombia living in NY, I really wanted to pass on the beauty of the Spanish language and culture to my children. I wanted to find Spanish classes and resources hoping to provide them with the incredible gift of bilingualism. To my surprise, there was nothing in my local community.
Teaching Spanish had always been an important part of my life; it was a calling. However, once I had my children, this calling took an even deeper meaning. I immersed myself not only in the art of teaching a second language but specifically in the delicate art of teaching a second language to children.
I discovered other moms, dads, grandparents were struggling like me, and even more, families that did not have a background in Spanish language had a passion and a desire to teach and learn Spanish at home. That is how Mundo Fantástico, a Spanish language program, was born. Designed with children and families in mind. It became my way of bridging the gap I had once encountered in my own quest for bilingual education, but also my passion for helping others that were struggling in that area like me.
Throughout my more than 20 year-journey, I've had the privilege of sharing the beauty of the Spanish language with numerous families, both in private and public schools, through after-school programs, and in one-on-one tutoring sessions for adults and children. I have provided training for teachers and, one of the most important pieces of the puzzle, provided support and training for parents interested in being an active role in teaching Spanish at home.
Contact Us!
info@jencova.com
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